Artificial fish bait



Feb. 8 1927.

T. J. CARTER ARTIFICIAL FISH BAIT Filed April 15, 1923 I N VEN TOR. fie/r7 as .2 Carrie 7;

A TTORNE Y.

40 usual manner of baits.

meme Feb. 8, 1921.

u |T n STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J'.. cum, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR '10 CARTER :BAI'I COM- 4 PANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

'umrcm rrsn 3m.

Application filed April 13, 1928. Serial No. 631,837.

It is the object of my invention to provide for .a fish hook of an artificial bait a guiding mounting which permits all necessary relative movements between the fish hook and a the body of the bait but limits such relative movements to those that are necessary and prevents undesirable movements between the fish hook and the bait-body. Moreespecially, it is the object of my invention to p permit the fish hook to swing in the longttudinal normally vertically plane of the bait body, but to prevent the hook from swmging out of such plane and from turning to positions which are either ineffective for catching fish or effective for catching weeds;

and, in the preferred form, to limit theswing of the hook to a predetermined angle in such longitudinal normally vertical plane. The accompanying drawing illustrates my 0 invention: Flg'. 1 is a perspective view of an artificial bait with a hook having a gelding mounting therein in accordance with my 1nvention, the view being taken lookin obliquely and laterally'upward at the bait; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bait and hook and hook-mounting shown in Fig. 1,

' with the bait-body (partly in section at the hook-mounting; an Fig. 3 is a transverse i ection substantially on the line 3--3 of ig. 2.

e bait-body 10 is shown as of thetype disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 287,207, filed April 3, 1919, but this is merely by way of example, as the bait-body may be of any desired type and form. This bait-body 10, which is usually though not necessarily made of wood, is

usually provided with an eye 11 by which it may be attached to the fish-line 12, in the Hung from the body 10 there may be any desired number of fish hooks -15. I have shown only one book 15. attached .to the baitbody 10 at an intermediate point in the ven- 4 tral medial longitudinal line thereof, as I prefer a bait with a single hook because it is more sportsmanlike; but my invention is applicable to a mounting of a hook in an artificial bait whether or not there is only a single book. a I

The upper or attaching end of the hook is usually provided with an eye 16, which interloops through the ,eye of a screw-eye -17 screwed into the bottom of the bait-body 10 or otherwise suitably attached thereto. The

position, the hook 15 is at an intermediate eye of the screw-eye 17 is preferably set in a rccess 18 in the under side of the bait-body, conveniently with a flanged sheet-metal cup-- shaped. liner 19 for. such recess. This recess 18 is preferably of such depth that the center of the eye of the screw-eye is about flush with the under surface'of the bait-body.

To guide the movements of the hook 15, I provide an arc-shaped guide 20, having a centrallongitudinaljslot 21 through which the shank of the hook 15 passes. The guide 20 is preferably made of sheet-metal having out-turned ends '22to provide attaching cars by which the guide may be attached to the bait-body by screws 23. The two, screws 23, the screw-eye 17, and the slot 21 are preferably all substantially in the medial lon itudinal normally vertical plane of the aitbody, and the guide 20 is so arranged that the eye, of the screw-eye 17 is substantially at tile center of the arc-shaped part of such gul e.

I have shown the guide 20 as a separate member, made of sheet-metal, and attached to the bait-body 10. However, this is merely a convenient'form, as it is'not necessary that the guide be made of sheet-metal, or that it be separate from, the bait-body. It is merely more convenient to make it that way.

In operation, the guide 20 limits the swing of the fish hook 15 to the plane of the slot 21; and the swing even in this lane is limited by the length of the slot, w ich is preferably arranged to stop the forward swinging movement of the hook at a point a little forward of the vertical, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and to stop the backward swing of the hook a little short of the horiz'ontal position with the hook straight back.

Between these limiting positions, the fish hook 'is free to assume a position in-which a'rear-turned point will lie in substantial alinement with the bait-body. In normal point'in its swing, the exact position varying in accordance with the speed at which the .bait is being pulled forward through the water; Thus the swinging of the hook is limited to. a definite arc of about 90, in the plane of the hook'itself, and in the medial longitudinally normally vertical plane of the bait-body; and. cannot swing laterally out ofsuch pl'ane. I p p Throughout its movement, the point of the Gil alwa hook is definitely held upward and behind the shank of the hook, so that it is in an effective position for catching any fish which strikes, and is'definitely out of sition to catch on any weeds or other 0 structions in the water, or to snag on anything on the bottom in case the bait drags on the bottom in bein manipulated. By means of the guard, t e point of the 1100 is held in such position relative to the bait-body that 1t is s preceded through the water by the shan of the hook or the bait-body so that the point of the hook is guided around any obstructions on which it mi ht otherwise catch. In other words, the hoo is efiectively Weedless, without being rigid with the baitbody as weedless hooks usuall are, so that by reason of the relative mova. ility of baitbody and hook the fish has a sportier chance to freeitself; but at the same time, the hook is also efiective to snag any fish that strikes,

- and to do so whether the fish strikes from the back or the side. In striking, the fish may roll the bait-body, 'but the hook is held 'by guide 20 in the 'definite medial longitudinal plane of the bait-body regardlew of the rolling thereof, and in effective position to catch the striking fish.

I claim as my 1nvention:-'

1. In an artificial bait, the combination of a'bait-bodly havin a fish hoo depending-from said bait-body 'by having at its upper end an eye which interloopsv through said hook-supporting eye to provide a swingin movement for the fish hook through: a wi e1 angle, aud a slotted sheet-metal guide co-o rating with the shank of the fish hook t roughout its swing to limit to a predetermined plane the swing of said fish ook with the relation to the bait-body but to permit such swing in that plane through a wide angle sufiicient to let a rear-turn point of said fish hook swing up into and down out of alined position be hind the bait-body.

2. In an artificial bait, the combination of a bait-bod havin a hook-supporting eye,

- hook through a wide angle, and a a fish hoo depen 'ng'from said bait-bod by having at its upper end an eye whic interloops through said hook-supporting eye to provide a swinging movement for. title fish 1 e co- 0 rating with the shank of the sh hook t roiaghout its swing to limit to a predetermine plane the swing of said fish hook with relationto the bait-body but to permit such swin in that plane through a wide angle suflicient to let a rear-turned point of said fish hook swin u into and down out of alined position hind the bait-body.

3. In an artificial bait, the combination of a bait-bod having a hook-sup rting eye, a

fish hook epe'ndin'g from an bait-body by having at, its upper end an eye which intera hook-supporting eye,

of the hook'projecting atallltinies loops through said hook-supporting eye to EI'OVldG a swinging movement for the'fish ook through a wide angle, and a slotted sheet-metal guide co-opcrating with the shank of the fish hook throughout its swing to limit the swing of the fish hook with relation to the bait-body to the medial longitudinal normally vertical plane of the baitbody but to permit such swing in that plan: through a wlde angle sufficient to let a rearturned point of said fish hook swing up and down into and out of alined position behind the bait-body.

4; In an artificial bait, the combination of a bait-body havin a hook-supporting e e, a fish hook depen ing from said bait-hody by having at its upper end an eye which interloops through said hook-supporting eye to provide a swinging movement for the fish hook through a wide angle, and a guide cooperating with the shank of the fish hook throughout its swingto. limit the. swing of the fish'hook with relation to the. bait-body to the medial longitudinal normallyvertical Y plane of thebait-body but to permit such, swin in that plane through a wide. angle sufiicientto let arear-tu'rned: point. of said fish hookswing u and down into and-outof alined position he bait, oom rising a slotted arc=shapedl mem- 'ber provi ed with attachingieyesby'whiehit,- T-

may be attached mine bait-body oli' 'oppositej I sides, of thefhook support with he the slot."

6. In an artificial bait,'--the eombinationiof a bait-body,-;a fish hook. swingingly mounted 1- I' on saidbait-bodyto hang-fromjandtswing freely in the-plane of the-hook' throu'gh a g p wide ang1e,-w 1th such plane of the hook exongitudinally of the bait-bo y, and

tending I guide means co-operating with the shank of the hook to limit the swinging of thehook to a I the plane of the hook and to a predetermined but wide angle in such plane and including a position with the shank of the hook substantially perpendicular to the bait-body.

7. In an artificial bait, the combination of i a bait-body, a fish hook swingingly mounted on said bait-body to hang from" and swing .freely in the plane of the hook through a wide angle, with such plane of the hook extending longitudinally of the bait-body, and guide means co-operating with the shank of the hook to limit the swin ing of the hook to the plane of the hook an including a position with the shank of'the hook substantially perpendicular to the bait-body.-

In witness whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 11th day of April, A. D. one thousandnine hundred and twenty-three.

I THOMAS J. CARTER. 

